SECTIONS // PANORAMA OF THE SPANISH DOCUMENTARY

Tarajal: Desmuntant la impunitat de la frontera sud (Tarajal: An European Phantasmagoria)

Out of Competition
Xavier Artigas, Xapo Ortega i Marc Serra
80' / 2016 / Spain
Web: http://metromuster.cat/project/tarajal-desmontando-la-impunidad-en-la-frontera-sur/
Spanish, Catalan, French
English and spanish subtitled

Tarajal: desmontando la impunidad en la frontera sur documents the events of 6 February 2014, when at least 15 people drowned while trying to reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco. A group of 200 migrants attempted to enter via the beach at Tarajal. They were repelled while still at sea by members of the Civil Guard, with rubber bullets and smoke canisters. The objective: to reopen the case, which was closed last October with neither police nor politicians held accountable. The documentary gives the testimonies of migration experts, journalists, lawyers, police spokespersons and activists as well as statements by Interior Ministry officials. These clash with each other, weaving a tale that highlights various contradictions and – above all – leaves us to suspect that the incident was not a simple case of police negligence but rather a planned strategic application of migration control policy.

Director's Biography

Sociologist Xavier Artigas and architect Xapo Ortega created the production company Metromuster in 2010, with the aim of deconstructing audiovisual codes in activism and redefining non-fiction political film. From that moment on, influenced by the 15 May protests, they have been involved in all sorts of projects relating to social movements and the defence of Human Rights. Of particular note are NO-RES (2011) and Ciutat Morta (2013), one of the documentaries that has had the greatest impact in Spain over the past few years.